Enabling Legislation

The New York State Archives program is authorized in statute to support the management and preservation of state and local government records and to support the preservation and access to non-government records in repositories statewide.

Arts and Cultural Affairs Law section 57.05 establishes the State Archives and authorizes the archives to acquire, preserve and make available the permanently valuable records of the state. This statute also authorizes the State Archives to operate a records management program to support state agencies in the management of their records, authorize the retention and final disposition of state government records, and to operate the State Records Center.

Article 57-A of the Arts and Cultural Affairs Law is the New York State Local Government Records Law. It authorizes the State Archives to promulgate regulations governing the retention and disposition of local government records, provides for a program of grants to local governments to support records management and preservation and authorizes the State Archives to provide advisory services and technical assistance to local governments to support their records management needs.

Education Law section 140 is the New York Documentary Heritage Act. It authorizes the Commissioner of Education to provide technical assistance and grants to non-government records repositories to support management, preservation of and access to historical records.